Ex-Newark Mayor Sharpe James fined for campaign violations

An Essex County Superior Court judge has ruled that former longtime Newark Mayor Sharpe James violated state election laws when he used more than $94,000 from his campaign fund to pay for criminal defense costs related to a federal investigation that ultimately landed him in federal prison.

James, who also served as a state senator, was convicted in 2008 of five counts in connection with a scheme to rig the sale of nine Newark properties to a former girlfriend, who then quickly resold them for a profit.

James, who served as mayor from 1986 through 2006, was released from prison in 2010.

The Election Law Enforcement Commission, which enforces the state’s campaign finance laws, began an investigation in 2008 of several checks made out by James’ campaign fund. The commission said those checks were used to pay for legal expenses in connection with the case.

The commission said that neither James nor his campaign ever asked it for an advisory ruling on whether this practice was legal and argued that it represented an improper use of campaign funds to pay for personal expenditures.

A manual put out for candidates by the commission in 2006, when James’ expenditures began, warns candidates against using campaign finance funds to pay for legal fees in connection with a candidate’s personal or business affairs.

It filed suit against James, as well as his campaign fund and campaign treasurer, Cheryl Johnson, of East Orange, last year, seeking to force James to pay the money back.

Judge Harriet F. Klein did that Friday, granting a summary judgment in the commission’s favor. She also ordered James to pay a $30,000 fine, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the commission.

“As I said when we filed this lawsuit in 2011, candidates who disregard the law must face consequences,” commission executive director Jeff Brindle said in a statement. “Sometimes it takes long than we would like. But in the end, the Commission aggressively enforces campaign finance law and that is what has happened here.”

James’ attorney, Ronald C. Hunt of Newark-based Hunt, Hamlin and Ridley, said James planned to appeal and declined further comment.